[Denish Ochieng, Standard]Researchers have developed disease-resistant cassava varieties. She said the Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) and Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) are the most common viral cassava diseases that may cause up to 100 per cent loss in cassava production. “The new cassava varieties include an improved variety that is resistant to CBSD and another one that is resistant to CMD and CBSD. She says: “We took our improved cassava with resistant cassava brown streak disease and crossed it with a farmer-preferred variety that had latent cassava mosaic disease resistance. The NPTs involve testing the Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS) of the new cassava variety.

Source: Standard Digital July 18, 2021 10:07 UTC